Lorene Irene Schmidt, 78, Rapid City, died on Saturday, February 15, 2014, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.

Graveside services are scheduled for 12:00pm on Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at Black Hills National Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10:00am until service time at Kinkade Funeral Chapel.

Lorene was born on March 14, 1935, to Fred and Christina (Kessler) Saeman in Werner, ND. She grew up in the Dunn Center, ND area and attended school up to the 10th grade. It was there that she met Emrel Schmidt. After he got out of the Army, they moved to Kansas and were married. They decided to move back to Dunn Center to farm, while Emrel worked at the coal mine, after which they moved to Washington where they both worked for the McKannen dairy. They then moved to Hermosa, SD and worked for various ranchers until they made enough money to lease their own land in Hill City. Eventually they bought a ranch in Hot Springs and lived there until 1971, when they sold the ranch and purchased their own dairy farm in Newell. They later retired to Vale where Lorene worked at the Vale Country Store for a few years. Due to her failing health, Lorene and Emrel moved to Rapid City a year ago to be closer to family.

Lorene enjoyed caring for her family, baking, cooking, arts and crafts, crocheting, antiquing, and collecting teddy bears and dolls.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Emrel, Rapid City; sons, Rusty (Rhonda) Schmidt, Rapid City, Rocky (Bonnie) Schmidt, Buffalo, and Ricky (Tami) Schmidt, Rapid City; daughters, Kathy (Red) Smith, Rapid City, and Tami (Curtis) Fischer, Johnstown, CO; sister, Emma Fischer, WA; twenty-three grandchildren, and thirty-six great-grandchildren.

Lorene is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Oscar, Alvin, and Otto; sister, Martha; and great-grandson, Elijah Murphy.

A memorial has been established.

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